Freeze
by Reclaimer
Summary: A mage learns that, no matter how much experience one may have, there will always be room for improvement.


Freeze

Lorrenzo sits beneath the gaping root structure of a giant tree in the Un'goro Crater. His emerald green eyes glow coldly beneath the wide brim of his hat, and his fingers are meshed together before his mouth. His elbows rest on his knees as he sits cross-legged on the fresh, mossy ground.

His eyes glow with varying intensity, shifting from flaring green-white to a deep shade of jade. His thoughts shift with the wind, calculating various values and applications that he's been researching, observing, and experimenting with over the past few weeks. He's come so far from the days of random explosions of power that have pockmarked his inexperienced past; the application of his mana has become nearly flawless in the executions of his various spells. However, he takes the possibility of continuous learning into his accounts. He's overlooked the possibility of experience many times in the past, enough to have learned that to overlook the possibility of knowledge in any task is an error. He will continue to learn until he has mastered his power.

The Sin'dorei mage rises to his feet, his hands dropping to his sides with a rustle of his silken shirt. The tree's exposed root structure offers ample room for the tall Blood Elf to stand to his full height. The lean man is dressed in his most comfortable adventuring clothes; dark cloth pants, well-made cloth boots, a comfortable black shirt and a durable cloth vest, not to mention his favored hat. Over his torso, Lorrenzo wears the tabard of his guild, a black tabard with violet borders and a large, white compass sprawling across his chest.

The elf could be described as handsome, in the least, but to approach him with such a comment at this time would be unwise.

The mage takes a few decisive steps forward, gathering his gem-headed staff into his hand from its leaning place against a tree root. His mana aura begins to ripple gently as he stirs his power within his body. The aura abruptly freezes, collapsing in upon the elf, molding to his body until it encases him in a thin layer of solid ice. He is now armored by his own power.

Lorrenzo nods in appreciation to this new element. He has never tried to master the power of Frost before, and so far the unfamiliar power is appealing. The mage clenches his free hand into a fist, listening with a cold, satisfied smirk to the crackles and pops emanating from the cracking ice adorning his hand.

"Now… to test this new power…" Lorrenzo's voice is a wintery whisper and a fine, chilly mist falls from his mouth and nose as he speaks. He raises his gaze to an animal he has been observing for some time now; a raptor, called a ravasaur by the explorers who have braved the jungle of this mysterious crater. Lorrenzo casually approaches the animal, certain that he has been noticed by the vicious creature. The mage plants his feet shoulders' width apart and begins to cast a battle-spell. He gathers his mana into his hand, freezing it into a glowing, chilling attack.

Lorrenzo frowns with effort as he releases the icy bolt, his eyes flaring. The pulsating, blue-white beam strikes the ravasaur, who immediately charges with a reptilian scream towards the Frost mage. The dinosaur struggles to advance; everywhere the beam touches leaves a trail of debilitating frost.

Lorrenzo freezes the ravasaur alive. He sustains the frost-bolt until the creature falls, its death throes are twitches at best.

The Sin'dorei lowers his hand with a cold, misty sigh. The frost beam was powerful, and he was impressed by its alacrity. However, maintaining the beam was costly. He had been forced to use a great deal of mana to keep it running in order to freeze his target.

"Flash-freeze…" Lorrenzo's glowing eyes take on an expression of thoughtfulness as he reconfigures his mana application. He decides to try again, but he'll have to find another target.

His search is soon rewarded. Another ravasaur comes into view, its head raised and searching. Lorrenzo smirks. His previous target must've alerted this new creature to Lorrenzo's presence. "No matter… let test number-two commence."

The Frost mage raises his hands into casting positions, gathering his mana into his palms again, chilling the power into a deadly frost attack. This time, however, Lorrenzo releases the energy in the form of a blast, not a beam. The frost blast impacts with the sound of shattering glass into the approaching ravasaur's chest, causing the creature to fall with an unearthly cry. The creature spasms on the ground, trying to free itself from the chilling touch encroaching upon its heart, but to no avail. The ravasaur's movements quickly slow, the cold-blooded creature succumbing to Lorrenzo's icy spell.

Lorrenzo approaches the fallen ravasaur. He nods grimly as he reflects on how he applied his mana to form such an attack. He'll keep this information archived in his mind, for he feels he will use this technique again. The mage turns away from the dead reptilian, only to be confronted by the sight of more.

Four other ravasaurs charge headlong towards Lorrenzo, teeth bared, voices screeching, and claws extended.

The Sin'dorei grimaces in frustration, his mind working furiously. He had not considered the fact that most recorded raptor encounters have always reported the appearance of at least three creatures. He had forgotten that these animals are pack hunters and to find one alone is a rarity.

Feeling like a fool, Lorrenzo teleports out of the dinosaurs' path. The pack gracefully changes directions and spreads out, effectively surrounding the mage. Lorrenzo frowns, thinking quietly to himself, "This is not good. I haven't tested all of the applications of frost… I am unsure what skills I should be able to use…"

Lorrenzo doesn't have time to finish lamenting. The raptors advance in unison with a chorus of predatory cries, each ravasaur eager to sink its teeth into this weak-looking humanoid.

The surrounded mage takes a battle stance, resting his staff on one shoulder and gripping one fist to his chest. With a mighty grunt of effort, Lorrenzo waves his free hand. The air and ground about him freezes solid as a wave of frost energy blasts outward. The ravasaurs are caught in this frost nova; the animals' feet become trapped in the flash-frozen vegetation, and the ravasaurs stumble clumsily on the frozen earth.

Lorrenzo takes the raptors' momentary lack of coordination as an opportunity; He grips his staff with both hands, gathering his mana about him as a protective shield. The shield freezes solid, becoming a transparent bubble of solidified energy.

The ravasaurs regain their composure and continue to advance. The ring of dinosaurs is now mere feet from Lorrenzo. The nearest creature takes a bite at the mage's shield, causing the shield to crack slightly.

Lorrenzo has no time to think. He swiftly racks his memory for a frost attack. An image flashes across his mind in a millisecond; Lorrenzo has no choice but to attempt this spell from his memory. He flings his hand to the sky, crying out a stream of magical words in Thalassian. The sky rumbles and darkens as snow begins to fall.

Lorrenzo hears the dinosaurs scraping at his ice barrier. The bubble is beginning to crack; He cries out the words of the spell once again, in desperation. He flings all of his mana into this cast, for should he fail… he will die.

The sky rumbles once more. Blue lights blink in the dark cloud directly overhead. The snow intensifies. The individual snowflakes rapidly begin to freeze. The raptors begin to be pelted by sleet, large hail-like stones, and chunks of ice…

Chunks of ice the size of boulders.

Ice boulders scream down from the sky, crushing anything in their flight paths. Trees are left with indentations from the blizzard of giant blocks of ice. Plants are flattened, snakes are crushed, and the ravasaurs are buffeted into broken, bleeding, freezing masses of leathery skin and chorded muscle.

Lorrenzo's icy barrier shatters. The mage falls forward, his mana exhausted, his body weak from the strenuous casts. He catches himself with his hands and knees; the frozen ground crackles and pops beneath his weight. The mage stares wide-eyed at the ground for a time. He hasn't any idea how long.

Lorrenzo slowly lifts his gaze. He surveys with astonishment the land around him. Everything within a twenty yard radius is frozen solid. Icy boulders clutter the earth. Splintered plants and broken ravasaurs surround the gawking Sin'dorei as he climbs shakily to his feet, using his staff as support.

Lorrenzo now realizes he still has much to learn.


End file.
